Much campaigning for seals

Newspaper Trouw wants to go back a century

SRRC in Pieterburen offers to rehabilitate seals from Texel

Press release Lenie 't Hart: "We will never make the decision on the beach:" You can live and we’ll let you die. Of course, we too are dealing with a record number of destitute seals. And therefore also lack of space, money and manpower. Luckily, we can count on a lot of support in the Netherlands and abroad. Volunteers have come from all over the world, because they care about what happens to the sick seals. And thanks to our supporters’ help and the many visitors we can still do what is necessary: to save seals that have run into trouble through human factors. "

Advice for seals on Texel

Advice for seals on Texel

I am already on my way!

Fantastic support

Thanks to all the media attention, we are being offered help from all corners of the Netherlands. We are receiving thousands of towels and dozens of volunteers have offered to help with cooking, cleaning and other things. We are getting help from vets and many zoos are lending us their experienced animal carers. That gives us a really warm feeling!

A tent full of action

Apart from all quarantine rooms, group-accommodations and large and small pools, the 40 metre long tent now forms the central part of our seal care facilities. Today, we have taken some pictures to show the huge job our seal carers and cleaners face again and again each day: Approximately 100 seals, spread out over 14 large and 6 small pools and a large collection of so-called ‘floor-units’. Two to three times a day they need to be cleaned, the seals need to be fed fishmeal or whole fish (sometimes inserted with medication) and the vets need to be assisted with health checks. The animals’ temperature needs to be taken almost daily and they are weighed every two to three days. All this is so much work and has to be carried out with military precision and discipline. We are so grateful that we can count on so many enthusiastic and involved employees and volunteers every day!

Storm and high tides get seals into trouble

Pieterburen filled to the brim, with over 350 seals on the premises.

They are washing up everywhere: grey seal babies – newborns, sometimes still with umbilical cord – and seriously ill common seals, unable to fight the fury of the storms and the thrashing waves. They are found, hidden in the shelter of the dunes, on the leeside of the dikes or just in the middle of the beach, where they seemed to want to give up the fight.
The SRRC has had to pull out all the stops in order to be able to cope with the enormous influx of seals. Luckily, in spite of the storm, all temporary facilities, tents and containers have remained intact...

A truckload of seal babies in one day

A combination of storm, high tides and a new moon has unfortunately endangered many grey seal babies. Especially the beaches of Terschelling were littered with cuddly, woolly, white seals, which had washed off the Richel and Engelse Hoek sandbanks. The last couple of weeks there had already been a number of babies on the beach, but because their mothers were with them, our seal first-aiders tried to shield them from tourists’ (and dogs) attention. In that way, dozens of mothers were able to nurse their young in Vlieland and Terschelling’s dunes. However, now the holidays have started, that is no longer possible due to increasing activity. A baby seal that is not nursed will die. This was why we had to undertake action.

Van Kammen tents helps SRRC

These busy times at the SRRC put a lot of pressure on our facilities. There are seals everywhere in the building, even in the offices. Still there is a shortage of space. One telephone call to Van Kammen Tents in Oosternijkerk brought the solution: Within three hours a 100m2 section was attached to the already existing tent. What a service! Thanks to their help we are now able to rehabilitate dozens of sick animals.

Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart

Seal locks out his saviour

What are the chances: A seal climbs onto the front seat of your car, looks out of the window and accidentally presses the central locking system with its front flipper.
There you are, with seven seals in the car and a running motor, an eighth animal in your arms and no chance of getting in.  
That happened on Thursday to Hessel on Terschelling. Luckily, he had a phone on him.